The Department of Defense (DoD) Task Force on Mental Health will meet
Jan. 22 - 23, Sheraton Tacoma Hotel,1320 Broadway Plaza, Tacoma, Washington. The room location of the meeting
will be posted in the hotel lobby.

The public and media are invited to attend the open sessions. The open meetings provide
an opportunity for attendees to hear briefings on mental health related topics. Open sessions will be from 8 a.m. –
noon, Mon., Jan. 22, and 3 – 5:30 p.m., Tues., Jan 23. Meeting agendas area available at:http://www.ha.osd.mil/DHB/mhtf/meeting/2007Jan.cfm.

Testimony to the Task Force during the open meeting on Tuesday should be in the form of a
statement rather than a briefing or presentation, and should be no longer than 10 minutes. However, written statements
of any length may be submitted to the Task Force at http://www.ha.osd.mil/DHB/mhtf/submission.cfm. Beneficiaries who may not wish to speak publicly or who are unable to attend the meeting
may submit their statements at this link.

According to the Task Force co-chairs, members want to hear from beneficiaries and veteran
and military service organizations about all aspects of mental health care, including access, quality – even the stigma
associated with seeking this care. They are also interested in understanding how deployments impact children and spouses,
and about care received from civilian practitioners.

The Task Force was established at the direction of Congress and will submit a report to Secretary
of Defense in May 2007 that will include an assessment of, and recommendations for improving the effectiveness of mental health
services provided to service members.

The Task Force consists of seven DoD members and seven non-DoD members. It is co-chaired
by Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, Army Surgeon General and Dr. Shelley M. MacDermid, Associate Professor in the Department of Child
Development and Family Studies, Purdue University and the Co-Director for the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue.

Bellingham first city in Washington to initiate City Council Resolution
'Bring Troops Home'

I spoke with Gene Marx via telephone last night and asked him to write and send a detailed eye-witness
account of the meeting. The following was in my morning email - Arthur

VICTORY for BELLINGHAM: Troops Home! Resolution Passes 6-1

On Monday night, Oct 9th, the Bellingham City Council passed the Troops Home! Resolution by a 6-1 vote, with
only Councilman Bob Ryan voting against it, becoming the first city in Washington State and the 108th nationally to adopt
such an initiative.

Councilman Terry Bornemann sponsored the resolution and strongly supported the Troops Home! Advisory Committee's
efforts from the outset in June. The resolution was co-sponsored by Councilwoman Joan Beardsley.

Before the vote, Bornemann, a Vietnam Veteran, powerfully stated that he supported this resolution to honor
Gold Star mother Doris Kent, whose son Corporal Jonathan Santos was killed in Iraq two years ago this week, and other parents
of soldiers; and also to honor the many Vietnam Veterans who still suffer from the consequences of that war.

Council President Gene Knutson said that when our national representatives won't listen, the people come to
their local politicians.

" When the federal government isn't listening, and the state government isn't listening, where do
citizens go? They go to their local officials...we are elected officials, and we have that right to do what we're doing
here tonight."

Knutson also took on stay-the-course detractors.

"Look at the highest levels of our government that are using cut-and-run, look at the people that are using
cut-and-run, look at their military backgrounds."

When Council Member Joan Beardsley questioned whether it was appropriate for the city council to make a vote
on behalf of ALL the citizens of Bellingham, Bornemann and Knutson strongly stated that every time the Council votes, they
are voting on behalf of the City of Bellingham and ALL its citizens.

In addition to making Northwest news, Bellingham's victory is being celebrated by the national peace movement
and Cities for Progress.

Whatcom Peace and Justice Center (www.whatcompjc.org), under Executive Director Marie Marchand, was the Resolution's organizational sponsor
from its inception.

For a refreshing counter-balance to The Bellingham Herald's inaccurate coverage of the council meeting, check
out Seattle's KOMO 4's 11:00 pm news from Monday night, October 9.

Bellingham's victory was the top news story, even trumping N. Korea's test detonation. The powerful City Council
presentation (Sep 25th - beginning at 22 minutes) and successful vote (Oct 9th - beginning at 54 1/2 minutes) can be viewed
on http://cob.org/council/packets.htm.

MFSO member Anna Lawson from Bellingham explains that "this resolution, of course, has no power
other than highlighting that one city strongly opposes federal policy and actions.... and we hope that Bellingham's council
will be the first of many in Washington to do so."

The weekend of, September 15, 16 and 17th, a film called "The Ground Truth"
premiered premier in cities around the country. It is about the hidden toll of the war in Iraq, and features returned Iraq
War Veterans and military family members telling "the ground truth" about the war.

The film played to rave reviews at the Sundance and other film festivals around the country. The eight cities
it will be opening in are LA, NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, DC, Boston, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to these
areas, there will be screenings of the film in several other cities around the country. For more detailed info regarding all
of the showings, theaters and dates/showtimes, as well as to view the film’s trailer, go to www.thegroundtruth.net.

If you would like to purchase the DVD of The Ground Truth, you can do so at http://groundtruthstore.seenon.com/?pa=mfso, and a donation will go to Military Families Speak Out for each DVD sold through that web address.

Please spread the word about this important film so that we can create an appropriate national
dialogue about the war in Iraq and educate the American public about the devastating – and often hidden -- toll of this
war.

Here is an excerpt from The Ground Truth's promotional materials:

"Hailed by Sundance filmgoers as 'powerful; and 'quietly unflinching,' Patricia Foulkrod's searing
documentary feature includes exclusive footage that will stun audiences. The filmmaker's subjects are patriotic young Americans,
articulating their stories on-camera - stories that must be heard.

The stories are those of a half-dozen American heros, ordinary men and women who heeded the call for military
service. The Ground Truth charts recruitment and training, combat, homecoming, and the struggle to reintegrate with families
and communities.

The terrible conflict in Iraq, depicted with ferocious honesty in the film, is a prelude for the even more
challenging battles fought by the soldiers returning home - with personal demons, an uncomprehending public, and an indifferent
government. As these battles take shape, each soldier becomes a new kind of hero, bearing witness and giving support to other
veterans, and learning to fearlessly wield the most powerful weapon of all -- the truth."

This is an excerpt from what the film's director wrote about the film:

"I tried to create a film that might blow the yellow ribbons off...and encourage people to really wrap their arms
around our soldiers and their families.

I wanted us to sit with the broken hearts and troubled minds of these young veterans, so we can take responsibility for
their suffering that is being experienced in our name.

And most important, I wanted to share with all Americans the profound wisdom these young men and women have to impart.
Their first step to healing is our listening."

The Vietnam Veterans Traveling Wall will be on display in Bellingham July 14th - 16th at
Memorial Park.

(I-5 Exit 255- follow the signs.)

This is the Vietnam Wall but we will be honoring all
Veterans past and present. We need to support our veterans here at home and in Iraq. The war doesn't end for these mena dn
women in uniform just because they came home. In fact, after they do come home, a new war can begin.

3 Private Meetings w/ Sen. Cantwell - is her position on Iraq evolving?

I don't know if her position is evolving, but I do know she is now at least talking about
her position on Iraq war. From what I am given to understand that is not something she has done these past months. I've been
a participant in 2 of the 3 meetings with the Senator scheduled specifically to discuss her position on Iraq. I've now heard
her first hand on two separate occasions in these meetings.

Prior to the third meeting of May 6, 2006, which came about as her response to a sit-in that took place
in her Seattle office April 25, 2006, Senator Cantwell placed her own guest op-ed article in Seattle Times, May 4, 2006; The year of transition in Iraq stating in her own words her position on Iraq. Another article in the Seattle PI, May 4, 2006
Cantwell clears the air on her Iraq stance addresses what
the Senator has now publicly stated as her position.

At this point, the Senator and I share common ground
on one point; she feels a responsibility to her Senator's vote in favor of U.S. invading Iraq and believes stability and security
of Iraq must be established in this year of transition 2006; I feel a responsibility for my vote of confidence in the Senator
in the last election and believe stability and security of our U.S. troops and Iraq must be established by responsible Congressionals
taking a leadership role in defining a clear exit strategy in bringing them home now. Furthering this catastrophe furthers
continuing catastrophic devastation to our troops who have become targets in what looks like civil war; and to the Iraqi people
who become the collateral damage to our troop presence in Iraq.

Questions and information were shared with the Senator
in all three meetings and in some instances she was given room to address and respond. Other times, imo, she was not given
nearly as much opportunity to respond as I would have preferred. Essentially though, with her now stating a position, what
is not yet clarified for me is the definition of Iraq stability and security in the year of transition 2006. In the second
meeting with Senator Cantwell, April 10, 2006, it was shared with her by Iraqi/American citizen participating in the meeting
that the 'standards' of what defines for the U.S. and what defines for the Iraqis are very different standards. In other words,if
training Iraqis according to U.S. standards to take over their own security/stability is the objective, has consideration
been given to the Iraqi standards as they define it for themselves?

Somehow to me, that is a relevant question that
provides far too much wiggle room for Congressionals to take the 'safe' stand and continue to push the timeline for withdrawing
U.S. troops further into 'indefinite' future.

Since March, 2003, on average, over two service men and women have died each day as
a result of the war in Iraq; that fatality rate continues in May, 2006. Discussions in Congress about the war in Iraq and
exit strategies include many proposals for bringing troops home after the mid-term election in November, 2006. If
Congress waits until November to act, it is likely that 350 or more U.S. servicemen and women will die along with countless
Iraqi children, women and men.

"This is a poignant and painful addition to the Eyes Wide Open exhibit,
but one that all decision-makers should see," stated Larry Syverson of Richmond, Virginia, whose son in the Army is currently
serving a second tour of duty in the Persian Gulf. "I hope every member of Congress and Senator visits this exhibit and reflects
on the urgency of ending this war. Their failure to act could mean that the next pair of boots that is moved from this section
to the section devoted to the boots of the fallen could be my son's."

quoted from Military Families Speak Outpress release, May 10, 2006 announcing 'Silence of the Dead; Voices of the Living'
vigil in Washington DC May 11-14. Senator Cantwell was given personal invitation to attend at our May 6 meeting with
her, and I sincerely hope she will take up that invitation as a time for reflection.

About 1,000 people rallied Sunday in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood to protest the Iraq war on
the third anniversary of its beginning.

Church leaders, labor groups, soldiers, longshoreman, veterans, military families,
politicians, professors, and others joined in opposition to the war with a march from People’s Park to People’s
Center.

With speeches, signs, and discussions, they made their points: The Bush Administration misled the country into
a needless war with false data about Iraq being a terrorist threat; the conflict is being funded by cutting essential education,
housing and health care programs; and the war is unwinnable and should end as soon as possible.

Signs and buttons carried slogans like “think outside the Fox, impeach Bush,” “ignorance isn’t
patriotic” and “support our troops … bring ’em home.” No one was there to argue the other side
of the issue.

The demonstrators held several moments of silence for U.S. soldiers and others killed in the conflict.

Joe
Colgan, of Kent, said his son, Army 2nd Lt. Benjamin J. Colgan, was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad in November of 2003
while serving in an artillery unit.

After what’s come out about the conflict, he said, the fact that more people
aren’t protesting “drives me nuts.”

Lietta Ruger, whose son-in-law and nephew, both 28, are in the
Army and facing additional time in Iraq, said she hoped her efforts would prevent other families from feeling the uncertainty
and pain of having loved ones in Iraq.

An Iraq war veteran took the stage with her.

“I did nothing positive
in Iraq,” said Joshua Farris, 24, who said he served as an Army cavalry scout during the war’s first six months.

Referring
to the protest, he said, “This is the right side of it.”

State Rep. Jeannie Darnielle, D-Tacoma, read a
litany of complaints about the Bush administration’s conduct of the war: “Convincing us Saddam was linked to 9/11
was wrong! Denying civil war is imminent is wrong!” she said to cheers.

“Every American is contributing at least $1,500 per person per year” to the war effort, said Warren Freeman,
pastor at Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church in Tacoma and Associated Ministries board member. “Too much money
is being spent on the war, and not enough on health care, education, and housing.”

The protest was sponsored
by Associated Ministries, the Church Council of Greater Seattle and United for Peace in Pierce County.

Laura Karlin,
who helps operate Tacoma Catholic Worker’s hospitality house in Hilltop, said, “this is our neighborhood, and
this is where we are seeing the program cuts, especially in low-income housing, shelter, and health care.”

Originally
published: March 20th, 2006 01:00 AM (PST)

caption of photos shown in article;Duane King, a member of
the Veterans for Peace chapter 109 in Olympia, joined other veterans and members of faith and secular communities to protest
the war in Iraq on its third anniversary Sunday at People’s Park in Tacoma. Demonstrators paraded down Martin Luther
King Jr. Way to call attention to the costs of war.

Jeanette Mears, who says she has a son in the Air Force, walks
in an Iraq war protest with son Michael, 11, and daughter Mercedes, 8.

Military Families Speak Out on
tragic 3rd Anniversary Iraq/Afghanistan war

By Lietta Ruger

Weekend of tragically marking the third anniversary Iraq/Afghanistan
war.

"I'm also part of the Raging Grannies group here in town,
and we tend to make a fair amount of racket.

Friday, we conducted an action involving a march and rally
to commemorate the third anniversary of the war. We had wonderful reception, and got an invite to appear on a local radio
show Friday night. The host wanted us to do more singing than talking, which was fine; but I did get an opportunity near the
end to talk about what it's like being the mom of a military member in Iraq (though my son is safely home now, praise be.

However, after the next rotation, he's likely to be yanked
out of college yet again and sent back over). Several of the grannies, who know my story well since they carried me through
that stressful year, had tears in their eyes, so I hope I was able to make someone in the listening audience do a little thinking.

I wasn't able to inject MFSO into the dialog, but I *was*
there as a granny, after all (though I have no grandkids!). I figure if the messagegets out, it's not quite as important
what sector it comes from as long as it's heard.

We also had at least a little coverage in the local daily,
and the weeklies have promised coverage.

*******************Port Angeles

WHAT: Rally and March

DATE: Saturday, March
18 TIME: noon

PLACE: Liberty Bell Veterans Park,
4th and Lincoln

WHO: MFSO
member Jenny Keesey will be speaking, whose son is in the Army.

I wanted to give you a brief
rundown of the rally yesterday. I got there early enough to help set up and talk with other speakers. It was quite
a good turn out. I think there were about 75 people. My speech was well-received by everyone. They were a very
supportive group.

A friend that went with me yesterday took pictures. ! I will get those downloaded tonight and forward
to you separately.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak at this rally. It was a wonderful and positive
experience.

I have decided that I would like to continue on in this arena and become much more active in our organization.
My one regret is that I didn't join sooner.

I have a couple of military families out here in my community that
are interested in joining MFSO.

WHO: Lietta
Ruger of Bay Center, WA, will speak. Lietta's son-in-law and nephew are both in the Army and served extended tours in Iraq;
they now face the prospect of multiple tours in Iraq. Lietta brings her history as a military family spanning her childhood
and early adult years, and as a young military wife during Vietnam.

A reported 1,000
turned out for this event. Multiple contingents marched from People's Community Park to Peoples Community Center in
Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood. Two Iraq veterans, carried the Iraq Veterans Against the War banner leading
off the march, followed by the Veterans for Peace contingent with their flags and banners, followed by Military Families Speak
Out contingent with their banner. Judy Linehan was interviewed as she was marching by Q-13 local tv news channel.
The many contingents in the march included local labor unions of Jobs with Justice. a cross-section of the faith community,
Youth against the War, and a wide assortment of other contingents.
(photos to be provided)

Arriving at the People's Community Center, presentation given by Dexter G. Gordon,
professor of African-American Studies at the University of Puget Sound, reinforcing the actions of Martin Luther
King, Jr; followed by State Rep. Jeannie Darnielle, D-Tacoma, who concluded her presentation by reading the names
of Washington military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lietta Ruger with Military Families
Speak Out followed. She used her presentation to put forward honored guest, Joe Colgan, Kent, WA, a veteran and
father of Army 2nd Lt. Benjamin J. Colgan, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad in November of 2003 while serving
in an artillery unit.. The audience responded with respect and appreciation. Lietta then spoke about
what Military Families Speak Out represents and stands for and the courage of military families to speak out
pointing to the military family members there: Judy Linehan who has son returned from Iraq deployment; Jessie Archibald
and her son currently deployed in Tikrit; Cathy Schop also a military family with a compelling story. She then
talked a bit about the 2 returning Iraq veterans in her family. Again the audience was appreciative in their respectful
applause. She spoke briefly about her father, who recently passed and his work on Tacoma docks as a longshoreman, a
strong union -man, a veteran his ability to respect the uniform of his 3 active duty grandsons as well as support her
as a speaking out military family. She thanked Jobs with Justice and individual thank you by local name each union local
attending, including the her father's longshoreman union local 23. (photos to be provided)

She then asked the
two Iraq veterans to speak and the audience responded in somber respect with appreciation. Lietta wrapped
up the presentation pointing out the soldiers do their jobs - the Commander-in-Chief needs to do his job; the soldiers do
their jobs - Congress needs to do it's job. She called attention to $7.4 billion taxpayers of Washington will pay in
2006 towards the war in Iraq/Afghanistan, thanking the audience for caring enough to be there and asking them to talk to neighbors,
write letters to editor, write and call their legislators. She wrapped up the presentation citing that the troops have
no voice, yet the voice of the troops reflected in the troops polled in recent Zogby poll indicated
72% of the troops said 'Bring Us Home'...listen to the voice of our people in uniform. She asked that people reach
out to military families in their communities and help in our efforts to take care of them. There was considerable
appreciative applause throughout the presentation. (photos to be provided)

WHAT: March of Veterans,
Military Families, and Survivors of Hurricane Katrina from Mobile AL to New Orleans, LA http://www.vetgulfmarch.org DATE:
3/14 - 3/19

TIME:
Rally in New Orleans, 3/19/06 10 AM

PLACE: Enter Armstrong Park
(Congo Square) and begin the Rally Against War and Injustice.

WHO:
Members of Military Families Speak Out, including: Stacy Bannerman of Kent, Washington whose husband
serves in the Washington Army National Guard, SFC Mortar Platoon, and served a year's tour of duty in Iraq. Upon return to
the US, his Brigade were cut loose after a week of outprocessing, and they have gotten no post-deployment mental health counseling.

**********************

March 18, 2006live update from Stacy Bannerman, MFSO - WA from
Biloxi on the Walkin' To New Orleans: Veterans' and Surviviors' March for Peace and Justice

Phone call from Stacy this morning. The number of marchers has grown to 150 or so and in each
community the marchers are being greeted and joined by speaking out with their own stories as well.

Stacy told
Lietta she was amazed at how the intersection of domestic and foreign policy continues to not only be evident but also a topic
to which many people keep making reference.

The marchers have been participating in Church services along the
way, using available campsites and hosting local residents. Camping has included permanent campfires and - as Lietta passed
on Stacy's detailed description, she says it's a "Bayou Thing" complete with "Gator Gumbo".

Stacy was calling
from Biloxi, Mississippi, this morning and over the course of the march the landscape has been heartbreaking. Many people
have had little more than local churches with which to connect for possible help but mostly comfort and consolation. It is
obvious that many who are still leaving do so with an awareness that they are not going to be coming back.****************

WHO:
Joe Colgan, veteran, military family and father of Benjamin Colgan, killed in Iraq in 2003. Military families, veterans, and
citizen voters will gather behind one or two 3 ft. by 9 ft. banners (in front of the entrance to the fund raiser) with the
following excerpt from Joe's Seattle PI op-ed piece:

"I write as a veteran who
has a special love for our troops and their families, and as the father of Lt. Benjami! n Colgan, who was killed in action
in Baghdad on Nov. 1, 2003... How many more Americans and Iraqis must perish or be maimed until the "stay-the-course" approach
is discredited? ...It is time for Cantwell to help move the debate beyond pointless rhetoric by taking a clear position and
holding public forums to promote a better understanding of the costs of this war and how to end it." (See the full
op-ed at Common Dreams )

This will be a solemn presence that conveys a clear message to both
those attending the fund raiser and to the press. Previous Military Families Speak Out events in March 2006 events noting
this tragic 3rd year anniversary;

Seattle

WHAT: Meeting with KOMO 4 TV news representatives
to discuss discuss with KOMO 4 their past and future news/media coverage of terrorism and war in Iraq these past 3 yrs = adequate
or inadequate and why?

DATE: Friday, March 17, 2006

WHO: Backbone Campaign, Amy Lacenski
of Military Families Speak Out

**************************

Update from Seattle:

March 18, 2006

report from Judy Linehan, MFSO
- WA

Participated in rally and march in Seattle, WA. While it had been suggested there might be
opportunity for her to speak representing MFSO, that opportunity did not happen. Judy participated in the march and
in distribution of MFSO materials. Alex Bacon representing GI Rights Hotline/Seattle Draft & Recruiting Counseling
Center had table of resource material to nclude MFSO materials.Elizabeth Falzone of GSFSO assisted at the VFP table.

**********

Tacoma

WHAT: Forum - Speak Out for Military Community

DATE: Wednesday, March 1, 2006 PLACE: Tacoma Unitarian
Church

WHO: Military Families Speak Out, Gold Star Families
Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War and the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace. Purpose was to
reach out to military families of Fort Lewis.

Lietta Ruger, the state chapter
coordinator for Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), says that "the aim of the forum is to engage with other military families
in Washington in discussion of the war, the mission, and support for the deployed troops. We hope to reach across division
and splits and find some common ground for both sides of the discussion. We share in common the support of the troops deployed
and have reason to be proud of them."

Link to the national Military Families Speak Out calendar of events listing events with military families participating across the nation:

From: The Fort Lewis Ranger

A Newsweekly for active and retired military personnel and their families

FREE February16, 2006 Vol.55,No.7

Peace groups want soldiers

Groups invite soldiers and family members to express their opinions of the war

BY SARAH ANNE CARTERCONTRIBUTOR

Several "peace" groups from Tacoma and Olympia are hosting a forum to let military members and their families speak out
about the Iraq War.

"Speak Out for the Military Community"will be held at 7 p.m. March 1 at the Tacoma Unitarian Church, 1115 S.56th
St.

The event is free and open to the public, but is especially focused for "for military families, personnel and veterans
to freely discuss how the Iraq War is affecting our lives and our country," accordingto the event flyer.

"In most settings, we're not free to talk about these things," said Terrance Zander, a member of Veterans for Peace.

"There isn't a free and open discussion for how the war has affected people's lives," Zander said. He brought up examples
of a soldier's blog being shut down, soldiers not being able to send photoshome and soldiers not being able to express
their true feelings about the war.

"We know a lot of people who would like to speak about how this is affecting their lives,"he said. His organization
along with Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Gold Star Families Speak Out and Olympia Movement for
Justice and Peace will each make about 10-minute presentations at the beginning of the forum.

"The idea came about at a meeting between Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace and OMJP about the need for
dialogue among military families, about the conditions they are living in, and about the war,"said Zoltan Grossman, a member
of OMJP.

"My understanding is that some families think they are facing their worries and concerns alone and want to find mutual
support. The idea of the forum was to move away from confrontational 'politics' and see what concerns that different people
in the community share."

Lietta Ruger of Military Families Speak Out describes the forum this way: "The aim of the forum is to engage with other
military families in Washington in discussion of the Iraq/Afghanistan war, the mission,and support for the deployed troops."

Ruger thinks this event is the first of its kind in Washington state.Ruger hopes the forum will help the people there
with different ideologies about the war to realize that they have more in common than not-

"We hope to reach across division and splits and find some common ground for both sides ofthe discussion,"Ruger said.
"We share in common the support of the troops deployed and have reason to be proud of them."

Dave Lynn of OMJP agrees, and that organization is trying to find ways to support the troops even though they're against
the war in Iraq, including doing food and clothing drives and offering referrals for people seeking counseling for post-traumatic
stress syndrome.

"It willbe the beginning of an open dialogue with military families," Lynn said.

"We want to let them know there's broader support for them."

'We share in common the support of the troops deployed and have reason to be proud of them.'

THE NEWS TRIBUNELast updated: March 1st, 2006 01:45 AM (PST)A collection of groups opposed to the war in Iraq will
host a forum tonight for military families, veterans and others to talk about their experiences.

The 7 p.m. meeting will be held at the Tacoma Unitarian Church, 1115 S. 56th St. The event is free and child care will
be provided, organizers said.

Opening the meeting will be a panel of speakers from Military Families Speak Out, Gold Star Families Speak Out, Veterans
for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War and the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace.

They’ll be followed by an open forum where audience members will be invited to share their experiences.

“The aim of the forum is to engage with other military families in Washington in discussion of the war, the mission
and support for the deployed troops,” Leitta Ruger, state chapter coordinator for Military Families Speak Out, said
in a news release.

“We hope to reach across division and splits and find some common ground for both sides of the discussion. We share
in common the support of the troops deployed and have reason to be proud of them.”Michael Gilbert, The News Tribune

Members of area peace groups say standing at a freeway overpass near Fort Lewis and “seeing who can throw the biggest
rock” hasn’t worked very well as a means of exchanging ideas about the war in Iraq.

So they tried something different Wednesday night. They hosted an open forum where military families, veterans and others
could talk about their experiences with the war.

About 40 people showed up for what organizers said was the first such local event, held at the Tacoma Unitarian Church,
1115 S. 56th St. They said they expect to schedule more.

One after another, participants took turns telling about how the war has affected them.

One woman talked about the death of her cousin last August to a land mine in Tikrit. A young former soldier, now a student
in Seattle, talked about the escalating trouble he saw the first few months after the fall of Baghdad. A mom whose son spent
a year in Iraq with a Fort Lewis Stryker brigade talked about what it was like to hold her breath for a year, waiting for
her son to return home safely.

Many talked about how it seems as though few people here realize there is even a war on, and that so much of the burden
of fighting is being borne by so few.

“We wanted to create a space where military families can come and talk about what’s on their minds,”
said facilitator Molly Gibbs of the Olympia chapter of Veterans for Peace, one of the host groups.

Most of Wednesday night’s participants were there with Veterans for Peace or one of the groups that put on the
event – Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Gold Star Families Speak Out and the Olympia Movement
for Justice and Peace.

If there were sharp differences about the war in Iraq among audience members, they didn’t surface as speakers took
their turn.

Nonetheless, people talked about how difficult they believe it is these days to have a meaningful discussion with those
with whom they disagree. The politics are too bitter, too divisive, they said.

Elizabeth Falzone of Seattle said she’s become active in Gold Star Families Speak Out since her cousin, Army Lt.
David Giaimo, 24, was killed Aug. 12, 2005.

“What I don’t understand is the violence, the hate that humanity is dealing with right now,” Falzone
said. “That’s why I came here tonight, to be with you all. Hopefully, we can all learn from each other and try
to find some understanding, because that’s what I’m really lacking.”

Judy Linehan of Military Families Speak Out, who has campaigned against the Iraq war while her son was serving there
and since his return, said she has learned that there is much that pro and con can agree about.

“We have more that unites us than what divides us,” Linehan said, namely, the safety and welfare of the men
and women serving in the military, and their fortunes when they return home.